Negotiations in Limbo
by Marie Nomad
Summary: Odin sets off to the Limbo Worlds to talk to someone that he hates but has no choice but to talk to. Cole has no interest in saving the world. Odin must convince Cole to help him or the Human World will suffer. Set near the end of the Seventh season.


I don't own any of the characters here. They belong to Aaron Spelling. Thanks Silverstar03 for the betareading.

Negotiations in Limbo

By Marie Nomad

Odin never liked the Limbo world. It was the place where those like the Angels of Death exist to bring forth the end of the humans- the very beings he vowed to guide and protect. Of course, there were other reasons Odin chose not to dwell too long in this world. There was also another entity that he didn't want to deal with but unfortunately he had no choice.

"Hello, Odin." Cole said calmly.

Odin spun around to find Cole lounging in a nearby chair, completely at ease, and nearly bristled when he realized he didn't sense the demon's presence. "Cole, I wish to speak to you." Odin said as he brushed his embarrassment aside.

"Let me guess," Cole spat. "You want my help with something that only I can do and after I'm done, you'll kick me to the curb because I'm evil or good or whatever I decide to be."

The Elder sighed. Odin knew Cole wasn't a fan of the Elders for what they did to him and Phoebe. Cole had been a good ally but a formidable enemy. What made this worse was that he was completely right. "Yes." Odin finally answered.

"I'm not doing it."

"Hear me out." Odin pleaded, raising his hand and trying every method he knew to remain calm. "Zankou had been released and we have a plan to destroy him once and for all."

"Zankou?" Cole asked, staring at Odin with disbelief. "The one demon who was so powerful that even the Source could not control him?"

"The same. Anyway, he is going to absorb the core of the Nexus and we are going to have the Charmed Ones destroy the Nexus core within him."

Cole's eyes widened. He knew very well what happens when a nexus core is destroyed. "Are you nuts?! The last time that happened the island of Atlantis sank! If you let the San Francisco Nexus core be destroyed, the expansion of the Nexus would…"

"Kill millions of people, including Phoebe."

Cole looked at Odin for a moment, intensity in his cold hard stare. Finally, he answered, "I don't care for Phoebe any more. I had cleaned my hands of her." Cole turned his back on Odin, but the elder was prepared for this.

"That is not true," Odin replied, "I know that you care deeply for her. Anyway, I am ready to negotiate with you. We need someone like you to contain the Nexus' expansion and restore it back after Zankou is destroyed. We are ready to grant you life if you help us."

Cole rolled his eyes as he turned around. "I can come back to life all by myself. I had done it before. But, there is something that you can do for me if I help contain the expansion."

Odin tensed at Cole's confident tone of voice. "And that would be?"

"I want you, as in the Elders, to help restore Phoebe's faith in love."

In the brief moments before Cole had spoken, a number of potential demands had come to Odin's mind. That, however, was not something that he had been expecting. "Excuse me?!"

"That's what I want in return. I want the Elders to restore Phoebe's faith in love. I thought I succeeded when I sent Drake to her, but I was wrong. She needs purity, and that is something only They can give her. Send her someone with a pure soul, someone who can't go wrong."

"Wait a second! We are Elders, not Cupids!" Odin protested, disliking how flustered and defensive Cole's request had made him. Cole rolled his eyes in return and shook his head in exasperation.

"So? You try to control every aspect in the Charmed Ones lives. Why not give them something to make them actually like you?"

The only thing that irritated Odin more than a demon who thought he knew it all was a demon who was right. The Charmed Ones had been somewhat distracted lately from their duties. However, after the Avatar mess, they didn't seem to care about anything except themselves and protecting Piper's children.

With gritted teeth, Odin agreed. "Fine. We shall try to find Phoebe someone perfect to love, but it will take time. Until then, we need you to contain the Nexus' expansion. Rest assured, we will keep our word."

"I'll hold you to it," Cole replied. "I will contain the Nexus but if you fail, I will make San Francisco fall." Cole waved his hand and Odin found himself back in the Land of Elders.

Odin shivered at the apparent power Cole had over Limbo. If Odin didn't find a way to keep his side of the bargain, the ramifications would be horrendous. This demon was serious. "I have work to do."

The End


End file.
